Werner Herzog's "Rescue Dawn" was released on DVD last week.

In a nutshell, check it out. Now.

I've watched quite a bit of Herzog movies in the past year — some notables are Grizzly Man, Fitzcarraldo, and Aguirre, the Wrath of God — and he's the kind of filmmaker we don't see much of these days. He likes to go on location, often to exotic locales, and makes some true cinema.

Rescue Dawn, which stars Christian Bale, follows Bale's character Dieter Dengler into his tour as a pilot in Vietnam. Dengler's plane is shot down over Laos during a mission, and he finds himself literally in the middle of the jungle — and pursued by hostiles. Along the way, he's offered a shot at freedom if he would sign a paper condemning the United States' actions, but he refuses, and winds up in a prisoner camp.

In the camp, Dengler meets some fellow American prisoners who have given up on any hope of escape. Their hope seems to ride with the war ending. Dengler won't wait for that to happen, and quickly plans his escape, coaxing the others into joining as he goes.

I'll stop there in divulging plot, but I'll tell you that the look and feel of this movie is something you won't see often. It's not about special effects or creating something that's not there. It's gritty, realistic, includes some great cinematography and is well-paced. It's also very neutral, and there's something to be said about that in a war film.

With Bale, you know you're getting the real deal as an actor. The supporting roles, including that of Steve Zahn (and a short scene with the Dharma Initiative film strip guy from "Lost"), are also strong.

It's well worth seeing. And afterward, check out some of Herzog's other works, including a documentary on the same subject, Little Dieter Needs to Fly.